AU3 XR6 Rear IRS Sub Frame

[avisionit]

I've looked in all technical stuff on here, but I can't seem to find anything that states how to remove the whole rear diff/axle/etc Sub frame all in one on the rear of an AU IRS.

Can someone point me to where I might find this info. I know there is only a handful of bolts, but not sure of correct procedure.

[mchaggis]

Originally Posted by avisionit

I've looked in all technical stuff on here, but I can't seem to find anything that states how to remove the whole rear diff/axle/etc Sub frame all in one on the rear of an AU IRS.

Can someone point me to where I might find this info. I know there is only a handful of bolts, but not sure of correct procedure.

Support car off the ground.
Remove wheels, lower shock bolts and rear brake calipers.
Remove exhaust
Disconnect hand brake cable
Support cradle with appropriate 'diff' jack
Remove rear end bolts (big round looking fixing)
Remove front bolts that go through chassis

Carefully lower jack and cradle.

It's surprisingly easy once you get started, I did mine last year on my own.

Superpro have a complete rebuild kit, eBay can help you locate that.

[avisionit]

Given that I havent done this before, The care is currently on stands. If I put a jack under the centre and an axle stand under each end, how much danger am i in of the whole thing falling on me whilst undoing the bolts?

[mchaggis]

Originally Posted by avisionit

Given that I havent done this before, The care is currently on stands. If I put a jack under the centre and an axle stand under each end, how much danger am i in of the whole thing falling on me whilst undoing the bolts?

Before I tackled my IRS, I bought some 3 tonne stands - can't bee too careful, so I understand that you'd be hesitant.

I used some wood on my diff jack/cradle to buffer the irregular size of the cradle compared to the jack. The whole thing is quite heavy, you can jack up the cradle so that the you can 'hear' that it's taking the weight of the cradle, this should give you confidence that it's supported.

When you loosen the rear two bolts, it'll start to drop under it's own weight too. So if you're unsure back off those bolts and lower your jack a bit, that'll show you how the weight is being taken. The Front bolts through the chassis can be undone when the cradle is supported. For me, the cradle stayed in the chassis at the front and needed a little persuasion to let go. 20 years will do that...

Once the cradle was out, I used an engine hoist to move it around. It's really quite heavy...

The rear bolts thread into a locator pin, it'll make sense once you drop it and can see what I mean. For me these were starting to rust, so be prepared to clean and seal those up.

I took plenty of pictures, so if you can tolerate the loading time have a look at my thread on this forum and those should give you an idea of what you'll see.

[avisionit]

Originally Posted by mchaggis

Before I tackled my IRS, I bought some 3 tonne stands - can't bee too careful, so I understand that you'd be hesitant.

I used some wood on my diff jack/cradle to buffer the irregular size of the cradle compared to the jack. The whole thing is quite heavy, you can jack up the cradle so that the you can 'hear' that it's taking the weight of the cradle, this should give you confidence that it's supported.

When you loosen the rear two bolts, it'll start to drop under it's own weight too. So if you're unsure back off those bolts and lower your jack a bit, that'll show you how the weight is being taken. The Front bolts through the chassis can be undone when the cradle is supported. For me, the cradle stayed in the chassis at the front and needed a little persuasion to let go. 20 years will do that...

Once the cradle was out, I used an engine hoist to move it around. It's really quite heavy...

The rear bolts thread into a locator pin, it'll make sense once you drop it and can see what I mean. For me these were starting to rust, so be prepared to clean and seal those up.

I took plenty of pictures, so if you can tolerate the loading time have a look at my thread on this forum and those should give you an idea of what you'll see.

Yep, I will have a look at your thread. Dont mind the loading time.

[Fed]

Removal instructions are in the WSM right here at Ford Forums.
http://fordforums.com.au/wsmpub/augx/Part%203-2B.html
Page 14.

[lumen8]

It is heavy so just use common sense, make sure it is supported right.

I have removed one...I decided to pull the brakes, hubs and axles first to take some weight of it. Made it easier to handle.

Never refitted it though.

[avisionit]

Thanks to all of you. Got it out safely and wasn't too hard. Would have been without the prior knowledge though so thanks again to all above.